Our Secret Place
by Miss-kittie
Summary: When Quistis' life seems to have hit an all time low, someone is there to help her get back to the top (heh, Quifer or a Seiftis or however you say it's a seifer/quistis sort) please R&R, first try at fanfiction *chapter 8 now up*
1. Her Destanation

Quistis fingered the knife gently, catching the light with the sharpened blade. It was a rather small knife, with a six inch blade and an ornate handle shaped like a dragon with it's jaws opened, making it seem as if instead of flame, the dragon was breathing out the blade. Quistis had bought the knife years ago, for no particular reason other than she liked it.  
  
But now the knife had a reason.  
  
Quistis' life had somehow become.... meaningless. To her, anyway.  
  
*Not meaningless* She corrected herself, testing the blade's sharpness, *just... repetitive. Dull. Automated*  
  
After defeating the great sorceress, Squall and the rest of the small group of people had been hailed as heroes. Parades, parties, dinners in their honor, all lasted for weeks afterward. Squall was given the headmaster position of the Balamb Garden after Cid retired to help Edea with the orphanage. Quistis got her Teacher's License back. Life... had returned to normal.  
  
*Not normal... things changed...* Quistis mused, drawing designs in the air with the knife. *I mean, how the hell do you top saving the planet from time compression?* It was a year after the disaster, and life had fallen into some sort of normality.  
  
Rinoa's pregnancy came as a shock to everyone. Selphie's sole purpose in life became organizing the baby shower for the happy girl. Squall married Rinoa a few short months after the final battle, and they were already starting a family. Everybody was happy for them. Everybody, except Quistis.  
  
Quistis somehow faded into the background. When she became an instructor again, her comrades talked to her less. And less. And less. Until they only exchanged pleasant formalities when they somehow wound up in an elevator, or bumped into each other on the streets. Everybody had moved on in his or her lives. Even Zell had moved on, his marriage to Selphie was planned in the fall. Quistis was just left behind.  
  
She didn't know where to go. Teaching held no joy for her. She followed the exact lesson plans that SeeD distributed annually. It wasn't teaching really. Just drilling information into the heads of young people, cranking out machines, exact replicas of each other. No individuality. Just little tin soldiers for SeeD to play with. But teaching was all that was left for her. Quistis had no friends, no family to speak of, and nobody to love.  
  
Quistis smiled to herself, tucking the knife in her back pocket and grabbing onto her backpack, setting out to the one place that held some amount of joy for her.  
  
She thought that she was in love with Squall for a time. But Quistis realized after the war that she was in love with the idea of Squall, not the individual. She was in love with the mystery of him, the charisma. But Rinoa brought out the person he was trying to hide. His true self.  
  
*And his true self is such a whipped little puppy, it's hardly funny.* Quistis thought with a frown. She walked down towards the dock, checking her watch. The boat taking her to her destination would be leaving soon. Quistis picked up the pace a little. This was, after all, the last boat she was ever going to take. ~~~~~  
  
"Seifie! Slow down, will ya?" Quisty shouted, stopping to catch her breath. Well ahead of her, Seifie stopped to roll his eyes and look back at his friend.  
  
"Well run a lil' faster an' maybe you could keep up!" Seifie shouted back. The little blonde boy sighed, and waited for Quisty to catch up. Quisty finally caught up to him, scowling the whole time about not being able to keep up.  
  
"Are we gunna be there soon? Matron will notice we're gone! An' what if we run into a monster or somethin'?" Quisty asked with a frown.  
  
"We're almost there Quisty. Just try to keep up, k?" Seifie said to his strawberry blonde friend. Her hair was falling out of the high ponytail, and she was still slightly out of breath. Seifie decided to slow the pace down. It wouldn't be fair to stay ahead of Quisty. She was, after all, just a girl.  
  
The two little children jogged lightly down the beach. They had been friends ever since they could remember. Seifie told Quisty that he was gunna show her a special place that he found while exploring, and dragged her off to show her.  
  
After a few minutes, Seifie stopped and pointed to a cave.  
  
"We hav'ta go through there to get to the place." Seifie said, moving towards the cave.  
  
"But Seifie! I'm scared of the dark!" Quisty said, shuffling her feet in the sand.  
  
"It'll be alright, I'm here for you. Just hold onto my hand and everything will be ok!"  
  
"Promise Seifie?"  
  
"I promise." With that, Quisty grabbed hold of Seifie's hand and he led her into the cave. ~~~ The boat docked at Centra briefly; Quistis was the only person on the boat, so it didn't stay long. Making sure her whip was safely secured to her hip, she set off in the direction of the old Orphanage. The boat wasn't able to dock near the Orphanage, and so Quistis was forced to walk from one end of the island to where she needed to go.  
  
With a small sigh, she began to hike. The original orphanage, the place Quistis grew up in, was abandoned by Cid and Matron, in favor of the white boat. There was nobody there, and even if somebody did decide to take up residence, they would have a serious building project in front of them. Due to years of neglect, the orphanage was in shambles.  
  
*Kinda like me...* Quistis thought with a wry smile. *In fact exactly like me. After years of neglect, I fell apart. Now all I need is a bulldozer and a "For Sale" sign to put on the vacant lot that used to be me.*  
  
Everybody was so happy. Wrapped up in their own little lives. Too wrapped up to take a look around them.  
  
*With so much on their minds, I suppose it's no surprise that I slipped from their minds.* Quistis thought with a frown. *No surprise that they forgot all about the place they once called home. A place that everybody but me seems to have forgotten...* She dodged a large rock in her path and sighed, starting to wear out from all the walking. But she wasn't far now. Not far at all. ~~~  
  
"Seifie... It's beautiful!" Quisty exclaimed, spinning around a few times to take it all in. Seifie sat back on his heels smugly; He knew that she'd be pleased.  
  
Seifie had found a little cove, hidden by the cliffs that surrounded them. There was a small tropical forest full of flowers bordering it, with a small beach made entirely of milk-white sand. Centered in the hidden cove was a large pool of crystal clear water, being fed by a small stream leading from the ocean. The water was completely smooth, so smooth that you could see straight down to the very bottom. Quisty squealed in delight as she spotted a school of neon pink fish swimming around in the pool.  
  
"It's great, isn't it?" Seifie asked, taking a look around himself. "And no one knows about it Quisty. Just you and me."  
  
"Really?" Quisty asked, eyes going wide. "You mean it's a secret place? OUR secret place?"  
  
"Yup!" Seifie said, emphasizing it by nodding his head vigorously. "But you can't tell no one, understand? It has to stay OURS. The second someone else finds out, it goes from ours to everybody's secret place, and then it ain't a secret no more!"  
  
Quisty digested this information, chewing on her bottom lip. "We have to swear never to tell, Seifie."  
  
"I already thought of that, see." Seifie said. "We's gunna make a blood pact!"  
  
"A blood pact?" Quisty asked, frowning at the word 'blood.'  
  
"Yup." Seifie said, pulling out a small penknife.  
  
"Seifie! Where'd you get that??? We're not supposed to have knives you know!" Quisty said sternly.  
  
"Well, I needed it, you see. How else are we gunna make a blood pact?" Seifie replied, exasperated. Quisty continued to frown, but nodded her head.  
  
Seifie opened the knife, and made a small cut in the middle of his right palm. Blood immediately began to well up, and Quisty swallowed hard. Seifie passed the knife to Quisty. "Now you do it!" he instructed.  
  
Squinting her eyes, Quisty took the knife, and yelped in pain as she cut her left palm.  
  
"Good! Now here, give me your hand!" Seifie said. Quisty held out her left hand, blood dripping down and staining the white sand red. Seifie put his hand over hers, and interlocked his fingers. "Now, swear that you'll never tell a soul, swear it, or else have all of your blood boil and your eyeballs turn into frogs!"  
  
"Ew Seifie that's gross! I don' want frog eyes!" Quisty said, wrinkling her nose.  
  
"Then just swear you'll never tell."  
  
"Ok, I swear it!" Quisty said with a grin.  
  
"Good. Now swear we'll be friends for ever and ever."  
  
"I swear we'll be friends!" Quisty said, nodding her head.  
  
"For ever and ever?" Seifie asked, cocking his head to the side.  
  
"Yup!" Quisty said, nodding her head.  
  
"Good!" Seifie said, withdrawing his hand. Both of their small hands were covered in blood, and the mix of their blood dripped onto the sand.  
  
"Seifie, do you have a band aide? I don' want to bleed to death?" Quisty said, frowning at her small palm.  
  
Seifie blinked. "I sorta forgot that part..." he said, scratching his head. "Come on, let's wash out hands in the ocean to keep tiny buggies from gettin' in."  
  
"I don't want tiny bugs in me!"  
  
"Then let's go wash out hands!"  
  
And together, the two children washed their hands in the ocean. ~~~  
  
Quistis rubbed the cracked stone pillar, tears threatening to spill. The orphanage was on its last legs. Reaching into her pack, Quistis brought out a picture of the orphanage when it was still together, so many years ago. She propped the picture up on the remainder of the porch, then headed off to the beach. She was going back to the secret place.  
  
She smiled to herself, a secret smile, the first time she had really smiled in a long, long time. She and Seifer had gotten into so much trouble. Not only did Matron notice their absence, but she also noticed the cuts on both of their hands. Little Seifer had gotten into more trouble than she had, since Seifer was always a troublemaker and it was Quistis' first offence to Matron knowledge. But it was well worth it.  
  
Quistis walked, and thought to herself. Fighting Seifer was one of the most traumatizing experiences of her life. The last battle was certainly the worst. For, shortly before, Quistis had regained more of her childhood memories. And she remembered the friendship she once shared with the blonde man. And, as she dealt the final blow that had beaten Seifer for the last time, her promise flashed through her mind.  
  
~"I swear we'll be friends!" Quisty said, nodding her head.  
  
~"For ever and ever?" Seifie asked, cocking his head to the side.  
  
~"Yup!" Quisty said, nodding her head.  
  
And then it was over. Seifer had been defeated. There was, of course, no time to sit and brood, for they had to face more obstacles. It wasn't until after the battle when Quistis had to deal with her emotions. And, as her friends one by one left her, she was left with nobody to support her in her time of need. Nobody to comfort her. Her friends didn't seem to remember her and Seifer as friends during childhood. But Quistis had long since stopped junctioning her GF. And so memories seeped back into her, one by one.  
  
Quistis briefly wondered what had happened to Seifer. He was not charged for war crimes, and last she had heard he was in Deiling City. SeeD was keeping tabs on him, to make sure he will not be a threat.  
  
*And yet they're unable to keep track of him... Incompetent people...* Quistis thought with a frown. She stopped in front of the cave. Making sure the knife was still in her pocket, she ventured through the dark cave.  
  
When she emerged, she smiled. A big smile of relief. She felt like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The 'secret place' hadn't changed. Not a bit. There was even a school of neon pink fish swimming around. Quistis sighed and dropped her pack on the ground. It was time.  
  
She unzipped her pack and pulled out a blood red dress. She quickly stripped down and changed into the dress. It was made of the finest of silk, sleeveless, with a tight bodice that flowed down into a wide skirt. It looked like something one would wear to a fancy ball, something special that should only be brought out when it was of the up most importance. Quistis quietly slipped on black heels, and tied a gold chain choker with a gold, heart shaped locket around her sculpted, pale neck. She then released her hair from its customary bun, letting it fall free in loose waves down her back.  
  
The sun was setting as Quistis finished getting ready, neatly folding her things and placing them under a palm tree the was growing nearby. Quistis held the knife firmly in her left hand, smiling at the sun's colors playing with the water's surface. She then brought the knife up and slashed her wrists. Blood spurted out onto the milk-white sand, as it had so many years ago with Seifer. With a smile still on her face, Quistis fell over, slipping into the blissful unconsciousness, for what she hoped was forever. 


	2. Seifer's Big Poking Stick

Seifer awoke from his nap, with a feeling of some urgency tugging at the back of his mind. His neck hurt from leaning up on the palm tree in the little forest surrounding Our Secret Place. He had been staying at the abandoned orphanage for... any where between 1 and 2 weeks, maybe three. Each day seemed to blur endlessly into each other, and Seifer didn't mind it one bit. This was his haven. He had nowhere to go, nowhere left to hide. Everywhere he went, he was hated upon sight. Businesses would refuse service. Little children would throw rocks. The bigger ones threw garbage. And the biggest, of course, always tried to start a fight.  
  
And so he got tired of it. Tired of their hate. Tired of drifting from place to place. Tired of having to explain himself. Just tired, right down to the bone. And Seifer decided to turn to the only place that served as home for him. He had brought along building supplies, to try and fix up the place. Make it somewhat livable. He'd have to leave every now and then for supplies of course. Food, more supplies...  
  
Seifer sighed. He had a lot of work in front of him. And he hadn't even begun. His days were spent walking along the beach, taking his time to get re-familiarized. This was his time to relax. His time to reflect. His time to regain memories lost.  
  
Seifer almost chuckled to himself at that thought. He had, for a brief period of time, had a GF. Much of his childhood had faded, but was coming back in strong waves of emotion. And the first thing that he really, truly remembered was this place. His sanctuary.  
  
Seifer fingered a small vile that was hanging off a silver chain necklace that he kept under his shirt. During his time as a knight, he had no idea why he had such a strong attachment to it, why he wore it every day, why he couldn't bear to part with it.  
  
The vile was full of reddish-brown sand. And when Seifer remembered why he wore the necklace, his resolve to one day find a home at or like the orphanage grew until it was a solemn oath.  
  
The vile contained some sand from this very beach he was sitting in front of. It was stained with blood. His blood and Quistis' blood. A slow smile lit up his face as he remembered that day.  
  
His smile turned into a serious frown.  
  
*Good gods above.* Seifer inwardly groaned. *I'm getting as bad as puberty boy!* Seifer shook his head. He felt that he had grown up since the war, since his knighthood, since he saw his dreams go crashing down. He wasn't as hostile, as arrogant, as impulsive. He was no longer a boy.  
  
Seifer noticed with a frown that the sun was setting. He sat up then, shaking his head to clear his vision. He was still a little groggy from his nap. But once his eyes found a figure on the beach, HIS beach, he found he had to shake his head again, and smack it a few times.  
  
*I'm. Losing. My. Mind.* Seifer thought, blinking. For there on the beach...  
  
Was Quistis.  
  
The light breeze was playing with her long, wavy blonde hair, as if it found a new toy. She looked like a goddess in her blood red dress, standing there tall and proud. Her skin was pale and flawless, the dress emphasizing her every curve. Her red lips were turned into a calm smile as she stared at the water.  
  
Seifer was mesmerized.  
  
So mesmerized, in fact, that he failed to notice the knife in her hand.  
  
When he finally collected his senses, and realized that indeed she was real, he began to stand, to call out to her.  
  
But, it all came a little late.  
  
For she suddenly raised her left hand and savagely slashed at her right wrist, then her left.  
  
Seifer sat, shocked, watching the beach turn red, unsure of what to do.  
  
*Well that's.... interesting.... * Seifer blinked. It didn't occur to him to HELP her until she collapsed on the beach, arms falling out. That was when Seifer finally got up, finally ran over, finally tried to help her. The blood oozed all around her, in an ironic pattern that made her look like she had blood angel wings. Seifer frowned, and whispered "Curaga." A green light surrounded Quistis, then both of her wrists sealed themselves. Now that the biggest problem was solved, Seifer realized he had another problem on his hands.  
  
What the HELL was he supposed to DO with her????  
  
Every bone in his body told him to go and get help. Every bone except two.  
  
One bone was the one he broke when his was 8, and ached instead of spoke to him.  
  
The other wanted rather badly to *ahem* add onto her bone count, cheerfully shouting out "You have 283 bones in your body, want one more?"  
  
Seifer ignored most of his bones (shuffling one bone in the back of his mind to use at a later date), and listened to his broken bone. He did what he decided seemed right at the time.  
  
He grabbed a nearby stick and started poking her with it.  
  
And so he sat there, poking her with his big stick, until night fell.  
  
And so he sat there, in the dark, poking her with his big stick until the moon rose.  
  
And then he decided his big stick wasn't helping. So he put it down and carried Quistis' limp form back to the orphanage, grabbing her pack along the way out.  
  
"You realize, Quistis, that I've been poking you with my big stick for over an hour and a half now, and I don't even get a 'Thank you?' Not even a 'Was it good for you too?' Frankly, my dear Instructor, I'm hurt that you didn't like my big stick. Maybe I should try it again when you wake up..." Seifer told the sleeping lady in his arms.  
  
"Now one must wonder, inSTRUCTor," Seifer continued, emphasizing her title, "what would drive you to attempt suicide? Did you leave a little note for Puberty Boy? A wittw wuv note, perhaps?" He jiggled the woman in his arms a little. "Hey I'm talking to you, you know! You could at least hit me or something... sheesh..... This is like talking to a wall..."  
  
Seifer pouted. The least she could do was talk in her slumber. He was, after all, saving her life.  
  
They arrived at the orphanage a few minutes later, with Seifer shifting her weight a little in his arms.  
  
"Sheesh, Trepe, did you gain weight? Cause you're AWFUL heavy. Although I must complement you, you don't seem to have a single drop of blood on you! So neat and tidy, even in attempted death! how DOES she do it, hm?"  
  
Seifer walked through the ruins of his former home, to the one room that remained standing. Barely.  
  
"Sorry, sweets, we'll be sharing a room for a while! And there's no way in HELL you're making me sleep on the floor. And I can't very well put YOU on the floor, being somewhat ill and all." Seifer frowned at his makeshift bed. It was little more than a bunch of blankets piled on top of each other on the floor, with a pillow and a few blankets on top.  
  
"Well, looks like we'll be sharing a bed after all! And here I was, thinking that this day would never come!" Seifer said, a cocky grin on his face. He gently laid her down on the bed, making sure he didn't jar her. He carefully tucked a blanket around her prone form. With a small frown, Seifer checked for a pulse. When he found a heartbeat, weak but there, he nodded his head. Just blood loss. Seifer brushed hair away from her face, his frown deepening. He couldn't very well go to sleep without knowing that she would be all right. What if she woke up? And snuck out and tried to kill herself again?  
  
Seifer just couldn't have that. After all, they now had history together, with him poking her with his big stick and all. He had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he'd be losing a fair amount of sleep for the next few weeks...  
  
  
  
  
  
~~~~~~AN~~~~~~ Ok. I believe firmly that Author's Notes take away from the story. But, I had to just make one. In the middle of playing FF8, I flatly refused to go on. I'm still in the middle of it as a matter of fact. I know how the game ends, and I think it sucks. . Seifer and Quistis should have had hot passionate monkey sex at the end! And Rinoa should have fallen off the Balamb Garden when she had the chance. I'll admit, Quistis and Seifer may seem a little out of character to some, and a lot OOC to others. But, I believe that nobody can TRULY capture their charas. Only the real Seifer and Quistis can do that. Although, I must admit a lot of authors have come close. Please keep in mind that both characters have changed, in big or little ways.  
  
Anywho, more chapters to follow, please take the time to read and review. 


	3. Plans

The rays of dawn's first light were washing over Quistis' face when she woke up.  
  
And she blinked.  
  
*.... Where........... Am I? Why... Why aren't I dead? Dammit, why aren't I DEAD?* She thought, sitting upright and immediately regretting it. A wave of dizziness hit, and weakness washed over her, causing her to lie back down. She frowned a little. Who ever had brought her here seemed to have left her shoes on. And, while the black pumps were stylish and sexy, they were not meant to be slept in. Her feet throbbed, and Quistis was sure they were bruised. Here eyes focused more on her surroundings.  
  
She finally concluded she was in the orphanage. The walls around her looked like they were barely standing, ready to fall over with the slightest touch. The bed she was lying on was little more than blankets piled on a dusty floor. Broken furniture was everywhere, and a broken window was letting in the hazy light.  
  
*Well, if all else fails I can die from the walls collapsing on me.* She thought dryly. Whomever had 'saved' her was going to get a piece of her mind, before she set of to try to end her life again. Lips pressed in a firm line, she sat up, slower this time, and the dizziness came again, but not so strongly that she had to lie down. She heard footsteps approaching, and she opened her mouth to give her 'savior' a piece of her mind....  
  
When HE walked in.  
  
Quistis managed a few vowel sounds, with a squeak or two thrown in. Her left eyebrow began to twitch oh so slightly.  
  
Seifer was standing in front of her.  
  
SEIFER.  
  
He was dressed casually, in a stained white tee shirt and a pair of jeans. He hadn't changed a bit. Not a single bit. His emerald eyes looked somewhat bemused as he looked at her, eyebrow delicately raised.  
  
He looked so sexy standing there.  
  
With that last thought, Quistis snapped out of her brief assessment of her former student.  
  
"Where the hell do you get off, trying to play the little hero and saving my life?" She demanded, hands balled into little fists. Seifer blinked, then chuckled, running a hand through his blonde hair.  
  
"My DEAR instructor, hello to you too! Nice dress, by the way. Love the color." he replied, leaning against the doorframe.  
  
"Answer me! Why didn't you let me die?" Quistis demanded, tears brimming in her eyes.  
  
"And miss the opportunity to aggravate you one last time?" He asked, feigning shock. "Never!"  
  
Quistis glared at him. "Well THANK YOU so VERY FREAKING MUCH for saving my PATHETIC life. Now, if you'll EXCUSE ME, I think I have a date with Death." She announced, trying to stand. But her body wouldn't permit it, and her legs gave out, causing her to tumble back into the bed.  
  
"Hm. Looks like your 'date' will have to be postponed until you can stand up." Seifer said, making a slight 'tisking' noise. "Now, one does have to wonder, what could possibly drive such a prestigious woman such as your... lovely self, to suicide? Did puberty boy stand you up on a date?"  
  
Quistis silently fumed. "And ONE has to wonder, what would drive such an arrogant asshole such as yourself, to follow me to my former home and stick his nose in other people's business?" She replied, gritting her teeth.  
  
Seifer stood up straight, glaring right back at the woman lying on HIS bed. "Now see here, I was here BEFORE you pranced down here and tried to off yourself. You're trespassing you know. This is my property now."  
  
"Your property? I have just as much right to this place as you do!"  
  
"Oh ya?"  
  
"Ya!"  
  
"Well fine!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"FINE!"  
  
"FINE!!!!"  
  
The two glared at each other, neither one moving, until finally Quistis spoke.  
  
"IF you don't MIND, Almsy, I'd like to get dressed." She said, her glare unwavering.  
  
"FINE." Seifer said, glaring with all his might.  
  
And they sat there, glaring for a full five minutes, before again Quistis broke the silence.  
  
"Please LEAVE." Quistis said, getting aggravated.  
  
"Nope. You might try something while I'm gone. No, I think I'll stay riiiiiiiiiight here." Seifer replied, a grin on his face.  
  
Quistis let out a frustrated sigh. "Then at least turn your back?" Seifer pouted, but complied. He heard the rustling of clothes, the sound of Quistis wrestling to get out of the dress, and a low growl as he heard the garment being thrown across the room. Then more rustling of clothes, the zipping of zippers, and a relieved sigh as he heard what sounded like two shoes being discarded through the window. He chose that moment to turn around, deciding she was done changing.  
  
Quistis had redressed in the simple green tank top and jean shorts she had been wearing when she arrived, lacking any other clothes. She had, after all, thought that the dress would be the only thing she'd need.  
  
"Look, Almsy," Quistis began with a tired sigh, "my purpose on this Earth had passed. I saved the planet. Gee wiz. Whoop dee do. I did my duty, and now the only thing left in my little life is to die. There's nothing else for me to do. Nothing."  
  
Seifer frowned, then put his best 'pouty face' on. "But Trepe, were you just going to leave, without restoring your home to its former glory? Tisk Tisk. Really, I expected more out of you."  
  
Quistis blinked. "Almsy, what ARE you doing here?" Seifer blinked.  
  
"Uh... Well... Actually... I was planning on rebuilding our dear orphanage and living here... You interrupted my nap with your little show last night, by the way." Seifer said, with a frown on his face.  
  
"..." It was Quistis' turn to raise an eyebrow. "From my impression of things, it would appear that you've been here for a few weeks. I see no signs of construction. It's just like you to be lazy about things."  
  
"Hey now, I've been working! I was clearing the island of monsters!" Seifer defended himself, gesturing wildly around.  
  
"Uh huh. And tell me, where are your building supplies? I see no wood, or nails or anything." Quistis continued. "In fact, when I arrived here it looked just as neglected as ever. What did you expect, that all of your work would just magically do itself?"  
  
Seifer started to get a little angry. "There's a forest nearby, I was going to use that for the wood. And as for nails and stuff like that, I've got shipments on the way. Boats should be arriving soon with everything that I ordered. And what's with all the questions, huh? Aren't you supposed to be downing a bottle of aspirin or something?"  
  
Quistis almost gritted her teeth to the point of them shattering. "I'll have you know this was my home too! I care about how you're going to RUIN it!"  
  
Seifer glared as hard as his emerald eyes could manage. Then, a little lighbulb appeared over his head.  
  
"I'll tell you what, Instructor mine, why don't you help me restore OUR former home. Then, after it's as good as new, you can rest your pretty little head, and then cut it off." Seifer said, his most charming smile appearing on his face.  
  
"... You just want me to help you built your little abode. Cheap labor. No way in hell." Quistis said, continuing her menacing glare.  
  
"Well this way you can supervise my efforts, make sure I don't ruin your little home. After it's all said and done, the house should be as good as new!"  
  
Quistis sighed. It was actually a fairly good idea. The place she held dear to her heart would be restored, and it would give her body time to heal...  
  
But what then? She would have to explain her whereabouts to the Garden, and why she took off so suddenly. She would need clothing, a place to stay, food, and other such items. Squall would probably want to show up and check up on her.  
  
All of the ends that she wouldn't have had to deal with had she died suddenly came loose.  
  
And speaking of which, what about her dying?  
  
Quistis began to chew on her lip. Afterwards, what if she didn't want to die? What if this gave her a chance to live? To reopen the orphanage, and those kids as a reason to live? It was all too neat. Too tidy. Quistis glanced up at Seifer. His eyes, those beautiful eyes, shined with slight excitement, full of genuine hope. She sighed. What choice did she really have?  
  
The will to die seemed to leave her as she continued to stare up into that face...  
  
Quistis frowned harder. "... All right. But on one condition!"  
  
Seifer almost jumped for joy. He wouldn't be alone on the island. Even though this was his sanctuary, his place to get away from a cruel world, he still craved friendship, friendship that he hadn't had since he was little. "Name the condition!"  
  
"After it's rebuilt, you reopen the orphanage with me!"  
  
Seifer's face fell. Reopen the orphanage? Have hordes of screaming wild kids running around? Having to deal with diapers and feeding and bathing the little rugrats?  
  
But then again....  
  
If Matron hadn't done all of that for himself and the rest of the orphanage group... He would have never have met Quisty. And Quistis *had* said 'with me,' meaning she'd stay on and help out. Hell, she'd be taking care of the kids, and they would become her reason to go on. It kept Quistis alive... And with him.  
  
"Done!" Seifer said, a cocky grin spreading across his face.  
  
"Good. I'll have to send word to Balamb about my decision to quit my job, of course. I might have some explaining to do about me disappearing..." Quistis said, continuing to chew on her bottom lip. Seifer was acting strange... nice even...  
  
Seifer groaned. "Puberty Boy is going to flip! You mean to tell me that you left without even leaving a suicide note???"  
  
"Well I didn't want them to know! I figured that they would look for a little while, file me as a missing person, and move on with their happy little lives." Quistis said with a shrug. "I never expected to find a reason to live."  
  
Seifer sighed. This complicated things a little. "You're little friends are all going to want to come down here to make sure you're ok, and then they'll see me, and then they'll draw and quarter me!"  
  
"They won't much care, Seifer. A lot has changed since the war..." Quistis said, staring out the window. The sun had risen, and birds could be heard chirping outside.  
  
"Well, I will be expecting you to contribute half of the funding to built the place, you know. We'll each be half owners. Split everything 50/50." Seifer said, leaning back on the doorframe.  
  
"Fine. Only if we hire builders to do all the building. AND as Matron's permission first. After all, she does still technically own the island. I'll also need clothing. And a decent place to stay. Somewhere away from you is preferable." Quistis replied, crossing her arms.  
  
"Done. When the next boat arrives, we'll set off for garden!" Seifer said cheerfully.  
  
"... WE'LL set off? Seifer....... I don't know if you've realized this... but people don't seem to particularly care for you around Balamb.. Or anywhere else for that matter." Quistis said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh yes, but don't worry your pretty little empty head. If you're with me, nobody will dare touch me." Seifer said with a shrug.  
  
"... Fine. But no starting fights! No acting male and throwing your weight around. No seducing female cadets. And try to keep a low profile?"  
  
"Always do, sweets." Seifer replied with a grin.  
  
Quistis wondered what she was getting herself into...  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
^^; I know, complete change of gears. But hey, what the hell. What will happen when Quistis shows up, Seifer in tow, back to the garden? Will Cid and Edea allow them to rebuild the orphanage?  
  
Things may seem all Honkey-dory now, but just you people wait until the next chapter... heh.... I have some Eeeeeeeeeeevil plans. Evil i tell you! Sheer evil! Mwhwhahahhahahhahahhahhahhaha!!!!!!  
  
ahem. Next chapter should be up today or tomorrow... 


	4. Insults and wet tee shirts

"For the LAST FREAKIN' TIME, Trepe, I said I'm sorry!"  
  
"SORRY? IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY? THAT YOU'RE SORRY?"  
  
"Like I keep TELLING YOU, WOMAN, it was an ACCADENT!"  
  
"RIGHT, the boat hit a BIG WAVE, causing your hand to LATCH ONTO MY CHEST!"  
  
"WELL I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE! I think you ENJOYED IT! After all, when was the last time you got a guy DRUNK ENOUGH to get laid?"  
  
"I GET LAID JUST AS OFTEN AS I WANT TO, AND IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHEN I DO OR DON'T GET LAID!"  
  
"Oh, what, is Xu denying you sex or something?"  
  
"What are you implying!"  
  
"Hey, I call 'em as I see 'em!"  
  
"Oh ya? Well I guess then you'll call out THIS!"  
  
The distinct sound of somebody getting kicked in the groin could reach the Captain's ears. With a sigh, he popped in another Advil.  
  
"Oh, SORRY! The boat rocked REALLY HARD, and my foot slipped!!!!!!!"  
  
"BITCH!"  
  
"UNIC!"  
  
"LESBO!"  
  
"MELON RAPER!"  
  
The Captain winced, and popped in another few pills. Ever since they left Centra, they had been at it like this. And it showed no sign of stopping...  
  
"HELL WHORE!"  
  
"CHOCOBO SCREWER!!"  
  
No sign at all.........  
  
The Captain hoped that a sudden lightning bolt would strike him.  
  
"SHE-MALE!"  
  
"DICKLESS WONDER!"  
  
...............Right now.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Quistis and Seifer were glaring at each other as the ship docked.  
  
"Suck my dick." Seifer growled, voice sore from shouting for hours.  
  
"Sorry, I don't have a microscope on me to find it." Quistis grumbled back, voice equally as sore.  
  
The ship captain almost shoved them off the boat as he "escorted" them off. Seifer walked over to the edge of the dock, glaring sullenly at the water. Suddenly, he turned to face Quistis.  
  
"You know you find me irresistible." He purred, his most charming smile on his lips.  
  
".... Excuse me?" Quistis asked, eyebrow twitching.  
  
"You've wanted to jump my dead sexy bones ever since you laid eyes on me." Seifer continued, winking at Quistis. Quistis glared at him. Then, without warning, her expression changed.  
  
She started walking towards Seifer, licking her lips, a hungry look in her clear blue eyes. Seifer swallowed. Hard. Seifer could only gape as Quistis stopped, inches away from him. She traced patterns on his chest, sliding her hand underneath his shirt, feeling his rock hard abs. She withdrew her hands, lightly placing them on his shoulders. Her eyes locked with Seifer's, she slowing began moving in, stopping only when her face was just inches from his.  
  
Seifer swallowed again. He could feel her hot, sweet breath on his cheek. Quistis raised herself up on her tippy-toes. As her lips brushed ever-so lightly against his, she rested her hands harder on his shoulders....  
  
Then shoved with all of her might.  
  
With a squeak, Seifer toppled into the cold ocean below. He rose to the surface, arms thrashing, sputtering indignantly as Quistis' knees gave out in her mirth. She sat there, laughing so hard tears were streaking down her cheeks, listening to the obscenities Seifer was muttering as he swam towards the ladder the dock had, just in case somebody fell into the waters.  
  
"Very FREAKIN' FUNNY!!" Seifer roared, approaching Quistis, who couldn't seem to breath because of the laughter. Seifer took off his black tee shirt, now soaking wet, and wrung it out over Quistis. She shrieked as the water hit her, sitting up and swearing.  
  
"Serves you right!"  
  
"Asshole!"  
  
"Fuck Stain!"  
  
Quistis stomped off in the direction of the Garden.  
  
Seifer realized it was going to be a long trip...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
People were shooting Quistis and Seifer sidelong glances, and not because the two seemed to be uttering every insult in the book at each other. People moved out of their way to avoid coming near Seifer, and Quistis stopped her insults long enough to point this out to Seifer.  
  
"Welcome to my world." He grumbled, watching a woman yank her protesting child across the street, telling her to avoid the 'bad bad man.' News of his arrival spread like wildfire across the town. It was definitely going to be a long trip...  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Ok, Seifer, here's the deal. We are going to remain as inconspicuous as possible. We are to go STRAIGHT to my room, where I will pack my things and leave a short note of resignation. We will then set off to FH, where the new orphanage is currently docked. In and out, as soon as possible. Got it?"  
  
"What if I have to pee?"  
  
"... Then wet your pants. We aren't stopping."  
  
Seifer faked a pout. "Ok, whatever you say... cumbag...."  
  
Quistis stuck her tongue out at Seifer.  
  
"Hey, don't stick it out unless you intend to use it!" Seifer said with a lopsided grin. Quistis kicked him in the shins.  
  
They approached the Garden, and managed to slip in unnoticed. Most of the students were off in other towns. It was the weekend after all. It was lunchtime to boot, so anybody who would still be at the garden, would be eating. Quistis prayed her luck would continue as she dragged the blonde man into her room. After threatening his manhood, Quistis got Seifer to pack her clothes in a suitcase as she wrote out a short letter of resignation, careful not to disclose too much information about her destination.  
  
She heard a low whistle behind her, and she whirled around in time to see Seifer holding up a white sheer lace corset, complete with garter straps and white stockings. With a blush and a deadly glare she banished Seifer from her underwear drawer, and threw in the rest of her clothes. Then, she cleared out her closet, leaving only her SeeD uniform hanging up.  
  
"You know, dear instructor, my clothes are STILL damp." Seifer pouted, fingering his jeans lightly with a frown. "I will get you for your little stunt you pulled, you know."  
  
Quistis snorted, and zipped her suitcase shut. That done, Quistis shoved Seifer out of her room and walked out, leaving the door open. Somebody was bound to notice the open door, and would find the letter inside.  
  
"There," Quistis said, brusquely walking down the hall, dragging Seifer, "that wasn't so hard, was it?"  
  
She spoke too soon. A young SeeD cadet, overburdened with loads of paperwork, accidentally bumped into Seifer. With a screech she fell into the fountain, thrashing and continuing to scream at the top of her lungs. Quistis managed a few choice words before possibly every SeeD member in the Garden showed up around the pair to investigate the screams.  
  
And of course, all they saw was a screaming girl in the fountain and Seifer Almsy standing there.  
  
"Hey, it's that bastard traitor!" One shouted, pointing at Seifer.  
  
"He pushed Nadine into the fountain!"  
  
"He's trying to kill her!"  
  
Seifer blinked a few times, before his temper got the best of him. "If you people would learn to WALK in your little school, maybe she wouldn't have TRIPPED in!"  
  
Before the angry mob of SeeDs could reply, a commanding voice cut through them.  
  
"What is going on here!"  
  
The crowd parted to allow Squall Lionheart, headmaster of the school, to the center of the mess. Quistis moaned a few more choice words, pinching her nose bridge. Squall silently viewed the girl sitting quietly in the pool, his swearing instructor, and Seifer standing glaring at the crowd.  
  
".... Seifer." Squall greeted, nodding his head.  
  
".... Squall." Seifer replied, eyebrow raised.  
  
"Seifer, I'd like you to meet the HEADMASTER of the garden." Quistis said, trying to get her point across to the blonde man. But it was lost on him.  
  
"That chick still got you whipped, puberty boy?" Seifer asked, crossing his arms.  
  
"... I married her." Squall replied, voice low and deadly.  
  
"WELL Squall, nice to run into you, look at the time! Gotta go byeeeeeeeeee!" Quistis broke in, grabbing Seifer and dragging him through the crowd.  
  
"HOLD it!" Squall commanded. Quistis swore. Again.  
  
"My office. Now." Squall said, walking past the pair and heading towards the lift.  
  
Seifer and Quistis looked at one another, and dejectedly followed the brunette man.  
  
A long trip indeed.  
  
"Slutt."  
  
"Fudgepacker."  
  
A long trip indeed...  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Short, I know, and I keep on saying how much I hate author's notes and here I am making another one. XP Thanks for all the great reviews! Hey, try to remember these insults. They work great ^^ 


	5. Pregnant???

One minute, she was suicidal, ready to die.  
  
The next minute, she's off, dragging Seifer, SEIFER for Pete's sake, around the Garden, handing in her resignation letter.  
  
And now she was sitting in Squall's office, with Seifer, to try and justify herself and Seifer's presence.  
  
....  
  
"I've got to lay of the crack..." Quistis muttered, rubbing her forehead. Squall was pacing around his office, not looking at either one of them. In his left hand, he was holding the resignation letter. She just wanted Squall to hurry the hell up so she could move on with her little life.  
  
"So what are you going to do, give us a detention?" Seifer snidely asked, propping his feet up on Squall's desk and leaning back in her chair. Quistis' foot "slipped" and knocked the chair out from under him. Seifer went crashing down on the floor, swearing.  
  
"Well you don't have to get testy, INSTRUCTOR. Sheesh, PMS or what?" Seifer grumbled, turning his chair upright and plopping back down into it. Quistis ignored him, focusing entirely on Squall.  
  
After a long silence, finally he spoke.  
  
"Natalie says that the fault of your little collision in the hallway, was her own." Squall began, facing the pair and seating himself in his office chair. He tossed the letter in the general direction of Quistis. "Care to explain that? Or how about why you brought a known traitor into the garden? Or why there are reports of you two staying, alone, on Centra? Please, I'm all ears." Squall said, eyes boring into Quistis. Before she could utter a word, Seifer cut in.  
  
"Hey, I thought it was customary for a couple to spend their honeymoon alone!" He said with a slight frown. Quistis started choking on her own breath, and Squall's eyes nearly popped out of his head.  
  
"SEIFER!" Quistis hissed at him. He ignored her.  
  
"Obviously she quit garden because she found something better. Me." Seifer continued, his most charming grin on his face. Squall's hand twitched.  
  
Seifer suddenly found a small, delicate hand over his mouth, and a glare fastened on him that scared him to the core.  
  
"We," Quistis began in a deadly voice, "bumped into each other on Centra when I went for a visit. Seifer was looking for Matron, to apologize to her, and I offered to bring him to her. But, first I had to stop by here to deliver my resignation and collect my things. My time at garden is over. It is time I began a new life for myself."  
  
Squall sighed, and ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. This was not a good time to lose one of his top instructors. It was also hard for him to swallow the explanation given to him for Seifer's presence. He knew Quistis Trepe had changed, but she didn't seem to be the type to play "good Samaritan" to her most troublesome student. Something was up. Seifer never apologizes. It just isn't his style. Squall did not like to be kept in the dark.  
  
"Fine, Trepe." Squall said with a nod of his head. "You have 2 minutes to leave garden, and I'll forget that Seifer was ever here. Otherwise... I won't be happy."  
  
Quistis nodded her head, grabbed her suitcase and Seifer, and headed out the door at a brusque pace. Squall waited a few minutes, then called Selphie into his office.  
  
"Selphie, I have a new mission for you..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well Trepe, I didn't think you had it in you to lie to puberty boy like that." Seifer said after they had left the garden. Quistis ignored him. Seifer pouted. He didn't like to be ignored.  
  
"QUISTIS, baby, don't treat me this way! Not after last night, when you declared your EVERLASTING LOVE for me! And now that I know that I'm going to be that father of your BABY, I promise that we'll get married as soon as we can!" Seifer declared suddenly, making wild gestures to emphasize his words.  
  
"SEIFER!" Quistis squeaked, looking around wildly to see if anybody heard. "Keep your voice down!! Ooooo I'm going to KIL-"  
  
"Hush baby, not another word. If you want to keep our marriage and our love child a secret, I understand!" Seifer interrupted, putting a hand over Quistis' lips. "I understand that your heart once belonged to Squall, and that you quit your job because the sexual tension became tooooooooo great, but our new life together will surely make you happy!" Seifer went on, dancing around Quistis dramatically. A nearby bush squeaked and rustled, making the pair whirl around in time to see a familiar bouncy brunette high tailing it back to the garden.  
  
Quistis blinked. Seifer swallowed.  
  
"... Run." Quistis said, taking out her Save The Queen.  
  
And run Seifer did.  
  
It was going to be a long trip.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"COME DOWN FROM THAT TREE YOU COWARD!!"  
  
"WHY?"  
  
"SO I CAN HURT YOU!"  
  
The sound of a whip cracking and shouting continued until nightfall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"YOU CAN'T STAY UP THERE FOREVER! COME DOWN AND GET WHAT'S COMING TO YOU!"  
  
"NEVER!"  
  
Things continued like that for at least an additional hour, before Quistis found an ax.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Morning found the pair at a local cafe, sipping coffee and glaring at each other. Both looked slightly disheveled, and Seifer had leaves sticking in his hair. Neither spoke.  
  
"Did you hear about the instructor from the garden?" Asked a girl sitting next to Seifer, talking to her friend.  
  
"The one that helped save the world from the Sorceress?"  
  
"Ya her! Word has it that she's pregnant with the lapdog's child!"  
  
Quistis growled, low and dangerous. Seifer looked a wee bit uncomfortable. He cleared his throat loudly, allowing the girl to notice his presence. With a deer-in-the-headlights look, she and her friend scampered out of the Cafe. Quistis just sipped her coffee, glaring.  
  
Seifer noticed a tear in his shirt, and he frowned. Why he hadn't thought of bringing extra clothing was beyond him. He missed the feel of his trademark gray trench coat on his shoulders, and he heaved a great sigh.  
  
Quistis sipped her coffee.  
  
It was going to be a long trip.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"DAMMIT, WHAT THE HELL DID I DO TO YOU?"  
  
"LOOK, I SAID IT WAS AN ACCADENT! THE SHIP ROCKED AND MY COFFEE ACCADENTLY FELL INTO YOUR LAP!"  
  
"ACCADENT MY PALE ASS!"  
  
The ship's captain wondered what he had done to deserve these two. Again.  
  
"GAHHHHH!"  
  
"Oops! So SORRY! I seemed to have dumped coffee in your lap AGAIN! Let me rinse it off with this FIRE HOSE!"  
  
Quistis unleashed a stream of freezing cold water on Seifer, so powerful he fell down, and almost off the ship. They were headed towards the city of FH, the place that the floating orphanage was docked to pick up more children-and drop some off to their new homes.  
  
"YOU BITCH! YOU GOT ME WET AGAIN!"  
  
"SO SORRY! YOU LOOK COLD! LET ME WARM YOU UP!"  
  
"GAHHHH!!!"  
  
"Water too hot? It's only at a rolling boil!"  
  
The captain took a swig of whiskey.  
  
"Let me COOL YOU OFF SOME MORE!"  
  
The captain heard the water turned on again. The other passengers had long since traveled a safe distance away, some taking pictures of the spectacle.  
  
He took a bigger swig of whiskey.  
  
It was going to be a long trip.  
  
"I didn't know pregnant women were so moody." One passenger commented a little too loudly.  
  
He soon found himself being assaulted with a spray of icy water.  
  
A really long trip.  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
  
Short chapter, I know, but I was determined to get something up today. I promise, the chapters will get longer.... 


	6. Like You All Didn't See This Coming

Quistis and Seifer sat at a table, glaring at each other. They had checked into the first hotel they had come across, and it happened to have a bar/ nightclub. Alcohol sounded good to the pair. Very good. So, shortly after checking in, they had snagged a table towards the front area, near a stage. Drinks *had* sounded good.  
  
Until they found out it was Karaoke night.  
  
Seifer winced as a slobbering drunk woman belted out some pop tune and hit a sour note. Quistis gulped her shot of vodka, picking up the bottle on the table to pour herself another shot.  
  
The pair had long since run out of things to call each other, going through every insult in the book, and even adding in a few of their own. Now they just sat in silence, glaring and wincing and getting drunk. Seifer had bought new clothes, discarding his coffee-stained clothing from the trip to FH. He wore a wife beater and jeans, simplistically sexy on him. Or so Quistis briefly thought as she sipped her drink. She remained in the green tank and shorts. Neither cared how informal they looked in the slightly ritzy place.  
  
Quistis frowned, then grinned maliciously as she got up from the table and disappeared briefly behind the stage door. She reappeared soon after, blinking innocently and sitting down. Seifer got worried. His worry was soon justified as an announcer came out on stage, ushering the drunken singer back into the audience after a brief round of applause.  
  
"And next on our list, please welcome.... Seifer Almsy???" The crowd blinked in surprise, recognizing the name instantly. All eyes turned to the table he shared.  
  
"No... Way.... In... HELL am I singing!" Seifer hissed, getting a tad uncomfortable under the audience's piercing stares.  
  
"Backing down, Seifiepoo? Are you SCARED of a wittw SONG?" Quistis asked, faking pity. Seifer swore underneath his breath, and with a glare to the audience that made their blood freeze, Seifer took the stage. The club had a live band that knew pretty much every song known to mankind. Seifer whispered a song title, then took the mic. Quistis sat back with a grin on her face, a slight feeling of glee running through her. The band began to play, and Seifer fastened his intense gaze upon Quistis. Her heart stopped in her chest at the gaze, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. Seifer began to sing.  
  
~*It's the reason for my pain  
  
In a season to celebrate  
  
I don't wanna be full of hate  
  
For anybody, but it's too late~*  
  
Seifer's voice was sultry and low, with just a hint of a gritty edge that emphasized his song.  
  
~*Everyone has been in my face  
  
Telling me that I'm a disgrace  
  
Showing me things that I must face  
  
Telling me that they need their space~*  
  
The female audience perked up to his song, instantly infatuated with the powerful man. But Seifer ignored them, keeping his eyes on the blonde woman sitting in the front row, singing only to her.  
  
~*I cant' love you anymore  
  
I'm scared of the sound of it~*  
  
Quistis felt her heart flutter. She blinked at this, and quickly took a large swig of her vodka.  
  
~*It's the reason why I'm down  
  
I'm beaten been pushed around  
  
Hit the ceiling without a sound  
  
Everyone I know considers me a clown~*  
  
Seifer felt that the song spoke so many things that he could not. It was almost like the song was written ABOUT him. He ignored a few stray pairs of panties that were thrown on stage by a few over zealous female fans.  
  
~*I can't love you anymore  
  
I'm scared of the sound of it  
  
I can't love you anymore Woman, I just wanted more~*  
  
~*I can't love you anymore  
  
Scared of the sound of it  
  
And woman, I just wanted more  
  
It's the reason why I'm here~*  
  
Seifer's voice died down as the song ended. Every female went nuts, and a few more panties hit the stage. Seifer gave them all a cocky grin and bowed. The husbands and boyfriends were glaring at him with all their little hearts. Seifer walked off stage, stopping to whisper something to the terrified announcer. He then rejoined Quistis at the table. She was looking at him in wonderment. She knew that the song must have related to him on so many levels. But which? Seifer gave her a snide grin, and Quistis was instantly brought back to reality as she heard her name being announced over the mic. She froze, a deer in the headlights look appearing on her delicate little face.  
  
With a low growl at having her own little game turned against her, Quistis stalked to the stage. She was just blitzed enough not to care about the crowd, but not so that she was incoherent and unstable. She told the band her song, then turned to face the audience. A few man whistled at her, and she winked in their general direction. Then she began her song.  
  
~*You cannot quit me so quickly  
  
There's no hope in you for me  
  
No corner you could squeeze me  
  
But I got all the time for you, love~*  
  
Quistis grinned at Seifer, and gave him a slight wink before looking back out into the crowd. Her voice was rich and full, with a sensual vibe that kept the audience's attention... Especially the males.  
  
~*The Space Between  
  
The tears we cry  
  
Is the laughter keeps us coming back for more  
  
The Space Between  
  
The wicked lies we tell  
  
And hope to keep safe from the pain~*  
  
Quistis glanced over at Seifer. He looked interested, raising a blonde eyebrow at her. He gave her an encouraging smile, which filled her with courage.  
  
~*But will I hold you again?  
  
These fickle, fuddled words confuse me  
  
Like 'Will it rain today?'  
  
Waste the hours with talking, talking  
  
These twisted games we're playing~*  
  
She looked him straight in the eye as she sang her next verse.  
  
~*We're strange allies  
  
With warring hearts  
  
What wild-eyed beast you be  
  
The Space Between  
  
The wicked lies we tell  
  
And hope to keep safe from the pain~*  
  
Seifer swallowed. Hard. He was lost in her blue eyes, and he felt a slight pang in his heart when she looked away.  
  
~*Will I hold you again?  
  
Will I hold...  
  
Look at us spinning out in  
  
The madness of a roller coaster  
  
You know you went off like a devil  
  
In a church in the middle of a crowded room  
  
All we can do, my love  
  
Is hope we don't take this ship down~*  
  
She smiled softly to herself, as she began the next verse, it holding her own private meaning to her.  
  
~*The Space Between  
  
Where you're smiling high  
  
Is where you'll find me if I get to go  
  
The Space Between  
  
The bullets in our firefight  
  
Is where I'll be hiding, waiting for you  
  
The rain that falls  
  
Splash in your heart  
  
Ran like sadness down the window into...  
  
The Space Between  
  
Our wicked lies  
  
Is where we hope to keep safe from pain~*  
  
Quistis' smile broadened as she launched into the next and final verse.  
  
~*Take my hand  
  
'Cause we're walking out of here  
  
Oh, right out of here  
  
Love is all we need here  
  
The Space Between  
  
What's wrong and right  
  
Is where you'll find me hiding, waiting for you  
  
The Space Between  
  
Your heart and mine  
  
Is the space we'll fill with time  
  
The Space Between...~*  
  
The audience applauded wildly, and an additional cheer was added when she coyly waved to a table of men in the corner of the room. She plopped back down at her table, slightly out of breath. It was a rather long song, and Quistis hadn't sung it in ages.  
  
Seifer flat out stared at the woman in front of him. She was blushing slightly, shifting slightly under his gaze before looking up to meet it. Sparks flew. Seifer took a large swig of vodka. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The blonde pair was leaning heavily on each other, giggling drunkenly as they attempted to operate the elevator that would bring them to the hotel room they shared. Quistis giggled a little loudly, watching the world wobble. Like a cube of jello.  
  
"Jello. Tee hee." Quistis said, leaning more heavily on Seifer.  
  
"Qwistisisisiisisisisissh, m'dear, I do believe you are drunk. Shkunk Drunk." He blinked a little bit. "I do believe that I'ms shkunk drunkt too."  
  
The elevator chimed softly, and the two stumbled out into the hallway. Seifer fumbled with the hotel keys, frowning slightly as his hand wavered too much for him to get the key in the lock.  
  
"Shutpid lock keepsh movin." He grumbled, finally succeeding in opening the door. They stumbled into the room, Quistis managing to make it to one of the twin beds before collapsing. Seifer closed the door, then flopped down on the other bed. Neither spoke.  
  
"You know, Seifiepoo? I've always admired you." Quistis rambled suddenly, managing to turn her head to face the blonde man. "Whenever you got a chance to follow your dreams, you just went POOSH, and CHARGED through all obstacles to obtain it. No regrets. No inhibitions."  
  
"No, no no no no no Qwistish. You're so strong and brave. You never let anything phase you. I admire YOU." Seifer replied, waving his arms around. Quistis managed to stand up and stumble over to Seifer's bed.  
  
"I was singin' about you, you know." Quistis said quietly, sitting down next to his prone form.  
  
"You were?" Seifer asked, sitting up in surprise. "I had hoped that you were, you know."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
They sat there for a few minutes, side by side, their drunken minds trying to process the information. Finally, Seifer turned to face Quistis, and timidly kissed her gently on the lips. She returned the kiss, moving so that she could get a better angle. They laid back, holding each other, a companionable silence over them. Quistis curled against Seifer, resting her head on his shoulder, before falling asleep. Seifer soon followed, burying his head in her hair and sighing, breathing her sent in and rolling in over in his mind like a fine wine.  
  
It was the most restful sleep of his life.  
  
Meanwhile, downstairs, the ship captain continued to get as drunk as humanly possible.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ya ya ya. I know. This was just bound to happen. Well, it occured to me that i wasn't doing any sort of disclaimer, so here it is.  
  
I own FF8. Really, I do. *holds up CD case* I bought it at walmart. So HA! ... right...  
  
The song Seifer sang was "It's the Reason" by Oleander. Look it up, it's a really good song.  
  
The song Quistis sang was, obviously, "The Space Between" by the Dave Mathews band. All who do not recognize it should go and listen to it obsessively until they see the Seiftis-y-goodness in it.  
  
More coming later! 


	7. That poor captain....

Quistis woke up very slowly the next morning. Very, very slowly.  
  
For starters, she had a killer headache.  
  
She groaned slightly, moving closer to a large heat source next to her. She cuddled up to it, trying to convince her poor head that pain was not necessary to tell her not to drink that much ever again. Ever. The large heat source wrapped its arms around her, bringing her closer to it. Her tired mind frowned as she snuggled up to it. Her mind desperately tried to connect Point A to Point B, trying to tell Quistis something important. But she was too tired, her head ached too much, and whatever it was she was cuddling with smelled really, really good.  
  
That's when her mind made a very interesting connection.  
  
Her eyes flew open. She was in the hotel room, that much she could tell. And she was fully clothed, that was good. But there was a large, sleeping body in front of her. A large, male body. Who had his arms wrapped around her as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let go. A large, male, built body. A large, male, built, BLONDE body.  
  
*Oh... Hyne...* Quistis said as realization dawned on her.  
  
She was getting all snuggly with Seifer. SEIFER.  
  
*HOW DRUNK DID I GET???* She asked, trying desperately to untangle herself from him. But his arms just wrapped more firmly around her, Seifer's head burying itself in her hair. Quistis squeaked, trying to wiggle out of his strong hold. But Seifer just chuckled lightly, drawing her even closer, until she was smooshed against his chest.  
  
His nice, firm chest. That was all rippley. Quistis tried hard to remember what all happened the previous night, as Seifer continued to chuckle softly.  
  
"Seifer." Quistis growled, poking his stomach.  
  
"Whassat?" He mumbled into her hair.  
  
"Seifer." Quistis said, a little more firmly this time, her head continuing to pound.  
  
Seifer groaned, finally opening his eyes. All he saw was blonde. His aching mind trying to puzzle THAT one out, as a tiny finger poked his stomach again. Seifer giggled slightly. He was ticklish, and whomever the finger belonged to had just found his most tickly spot.  
  
That was when his mind put two and two together, and got five.  
  
"Quistis?" he mumbled, finally lifting up his head. Fiery blue eyes met his, as she frowned severely up at him. Seifer realized just how closely he was holding her, and mumbled an apology, removing his arms reluctantly. Quistis slowly got out of bed; her head feeling like a midget was digging out her left eyeball with a spoon. She dizzily turned around to face Seifer, who had groaned and thrown a hand over his eyes.  
  
"Seifer. What exactly happened last night?" Quistis asked, massaging her temples. He blinked.  
  
"You mean you don't remember?"  
  
Quistis shook her head. "I remember Karaoke... And drinking a lot... But after that it's a big blank."  
  
Seifer frowned, looking very disappointed.  
  
"Why? What happened? How did we end up in the same bed?" She asked, rummaging around for a Remedy. Seifer sighed.  
  
"Well..." He began, thinking. "We got majorly snogged, came up here, shagged like bunnies and fell asleep."  
  
Quistis rolled her eyes, tossing him a Remedy, which he quickly gulped down. It didn't make the entire hangover go away, but it made the headache fade to a dull pounding.  
  
"In your dreams, little boy." Quistis said, drinking a Remedy herself.  
  
Seifer grinned wickedly. "Actually-"  
  
"Don't want to hear it!" Quistis interrupted. "Seifer, what really happened?"  
  
Seifer sighed. "You're no fun... We did get majorly snogged... But we came up here, and you passed out, so I set you down on my bed and just accidentally fell asleep next to you." He said, carefully. He didn't think that she could handle what really happened. He, more importantly, didn't want her to ruin the memory of the kiss by freaking out.  
  
Quistis processed the information, then nodded her head. "I'm going to go shower." She said, walking off towards the bathroom.  
  
"Save some hot water for me." Seifer called after her. Quistis stuck her tongue out at him and closed the door. Seifer grinned and flopped down on his bed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What do you mean, the ship's already sailed??" Quistis demanded at the harbor.  
  
"I MEAN, lady, that they left. Gone. Bye bye." The man replied, annoyed. "Early this morning. 'Heard they were headed to Balamb to take care of some business."  
  
Seifer and Quistis groaned together.  
  
"No way in HELL am I going back there!" Seifer told Quistis matter of factly.  
  
"DITTO! They all think I'm married to YOU!" Quistis retorted, headache quickly returning. They had both hurried out to the harbor when they realized it was well past 2 o clock, only to find that the white SeeD ship had sailed.  
  
"Like that's an appealing thought to me!"  
  
"You're the one who told them!"  
  
"I was being sarcastic! How was I supposed to know that little messenger girl would hear?"  
  
"THE BUSH WAS WIGGLING! SELPHIE COULDN'T SNEAK UP ON A DEAD SNAKE!"  
  
"WELL I WAS A LITTLE BUSY TRYING TO FEND YOU OFF! AND AS I RECALL YOU CHASED ME UP IN A TREE AFTERWARDS!"  
  
"AND I WISH YOU HAD STAYED THERE!"  
  
"I HATE YOU!"  
  
"I HATE YOU MORE!"  
  
"DO NOT!"  
  
"DO TOO!"  
  
"DO NOT!"  
  
"DO TOO!"  
  
"FINE!"  
  
"FINE!"  
  
Seifer and Quistis were fuming as they stomped off to the hotel. People were staring, and some whispered how the funniest people got married...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Why the hell didn't these people just take a train?  
  
"DAMMIT QUISTIS! IT WAS AN ACCADENT!"  
  
"YOU GROPED ME! AGAIN!"  
  
"LIKE HELL I WOULD GROPE YOU OF ALL PEOPLE! I WAS MAKING HAND GUESTURES AND YOU STUCK YOUR CHEST IN THE WAY OF MY HAND!"  
  
"YOU ARE SUCH A DISGUSTING ASS!"  
  
"YEEOUCH! DAMMIT WOMAN, WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND COFFEE??"  
  
"OH, I'M SORRY! I WAS DUMPING IT OUT AND YOUR BODY JUST GOT IN MY WAY!"  
  
The ship captain chugged the bottle of tequila. He was just a week from retirement. A week too long. There were perfectly good trains for people to take-  
  
"EEEEK! SEIFER! I'M WEARING A WHITE FREAKIN' TEE SHIRT! GET AWAY FROM ME WITH THAT HOSE!"  
  
"WET TEE SHIRT CONTEST!"  
  
But no. No no no no no. He got stuck with these two.  
  
Again.  
  
The sound of a hose spraying something vigorously and a woman screeching reached his ears, and the captain finished off the bottle of liquor.  
  
"NICE RACK, QUISTIS! SAY, IS IT A TIT BIT NIPPLEY AROUND HERE OR IS IT JUST YOU?"  
  
"SEIFER, DAMMIT, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"  
  
"HA! I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY! Hey... Put that ax down Quistis. Quistis? I was only Kidding? Ha ha ha? Ha? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"  
  
"STOP RUNNING, PANSY BOY, AND GET WHAT'S COMING TO YOU!"  
  
The captain watched as a blonde streak went past, followed closely by a blonde woman swinging an ax.  
  
He just wasn't drunk enough to deal with them.  
  
"AAAAAAAAHH! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"  
  
"ANYBODY TOUCH HIM AND YOU'RE MY NEXT TARGET!"  
  
There simply wasn't enough liquor in the world.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Pregnant?" Edea and Cid asked simultaneously.  
  
Squall nodded his head. "I'm surprised you two hadn't heard. Quistis said that she was bringing Seifer to you, matron, so he could apologize."  
  
Edea raised an eyebrow. Cid sighed.  
  
"And they're getting married?"  
  
"Reports have sighted the pair in a hotel in FH, sharing a room."  
  
Cid looked like he was going into shock, while Edea chuckled. "We were just in FH when we got your message. We probably just missed them."  
  
Squall nodded his head. "Just be careful. Seifer is not to be trusted under any-"  
  
"Oh Squall. You're so tense." Edea chided softly. "I always knew they'd end up together. Just not so... soon." She mused. Cid sighed again.  
  
"I guess we'll remain in Balamb until they show up for whatever reason." Cid stated with another sigh.  
  
"Tell me Squall, how are you and Rinoa?" Edea asked with a smile. Squall blushed.  
  
"We're just fine. Selphie is going nuts trying to plan a baby shower and a wedding, and now she's hell-bent on throwing one for Quistis." Edea's smile grew.  
  
"You know, I'll bet Rinoa and Quistis will have their children fairly close together." Edea said, a dreamy look in her eyes. Squall groaned. Edea looked at him curiously.  
  
"I just realized that Irvine is probably going to organize a baby pool to see whose kid come out first."  
  
Edea and Cid laughed, while Squall continued to shake his head.  
  
He just hoped Rinoa winned.  
  
  
  
  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Really short, probably my shortest chapter. But I really wanted to work on a songfic idea I just got, so i ended the chapter a little early. I promise, the next chapter will be a little longer. And will have some sappy childhood memories. And very possibly a non-drunken kiss.  
  
*flashes peace sign* Keep a look out for that songfic. It should be out later today. 


	8. The Captain's Revenge

Quistis came to with a groan. She was lying face down on a rocky shore. She could hear the ocean somewhere behind her, and she could clearly see her suitcase beside her. The back of her head was aching with a dull thud, and when she touched the area gently, her hand felt dried blood. She frowned. She had been hit on the back of the head. It would certainly explain why she was unconscious.  
  
She remembered being on the boat... Chasing Seifer with an ax....  
  
*Almost got the bastard too...* Quistis thought with a grin. Then.. Everything was a blank... Wait... She remembered the ship's captain with... a....  
  
Quistis frowned. The ship's Captain had a frying pan. And he looked a wee bit more than a little drunk. He wouldn't have-  
  
Quistis' train of thought was interrupted by a groan to her left. She turned her head to see Seifer lying a few feet away from her, looking as if he was just waking up. Quistis sat up, very very slowly sat up, and crawled over to him. She gingerly placed his head in her lap, and began to examine his wounds. He too had received a blow from a blunt object of some sort. Like a frying pan.  
  
Seifer's eyes flew open, and the first thing he saw was Quistis, peering down at him with a slight frown on her face.  
  
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" he croaked, chuckling lightly. Quistis smacked him in she shoulder as she helped him sit up. Seifer looked around with a frown on his face. "Where are we?"  
  
"I don't know. I'm pretty sure the Captain clocked us both on the head with a frying pan and threw us on the nearest landform." Seifer's face crinkled up in a glare at the ocean, and began swearing under his breath.  
  
"The next time I see that old goat, I'll-"  
  
"Why don't we concentrate on trying to get out of here?" Quistis interrupted, sighing. "We have to rinse our wounds out with salt water, to get rid of the blood and kill any germs. I see no reason why we should waste a Cure, seeing as we'll probably need it." Quistis said, looking around. She would bet her bra that this area was absolutely crawling with monsters.  
  
"Ok. So let's get naked and go swimming!" Seifer whooped, taking his shirt off and heading towards the beach. Quistis blushed.  
  
"Seifer!" She called after him, blush spreading. "You can keep your boxers ON!"  
  
Seifer pouted, pulling his black boxers back up. "You're no fun! Come on! Strip down to your knickers and join in!"  
  
"Never!"  
  
Seifer got a wicked gleam in his eyes. Quistis squeaked, and began to run away. But she was no match for Seifer, who quickly caught up. He grabbed her around her waist and carried her to the beach, kicking and screaming. He began to strip her down, ripping off her shirt and managing to get the shorts off. Quistis screamed indignantly throughout all of this, but her shrieks grew as Seifer waded out into the water. He grinned at the little blonde in his arms, who was trying desperately to get away. She froze, and looked him in his devilish green eyes.  
  
"You wouldn't dare." She said, suddenly grabbing him tightly around the neck and wrapping her legs around his waist. He frowned as he let go and she just hung there. He quickly solved the problem by diving into the cold blue water, taking her with him. He surface immediately, laughing. His head stung, but his ignored the pain. He went to flick a large string of seaweed off his shoulder, when he froze.  
  
Since when was seaweed white and frilly?  
  
Seifer swallowed as he picked the bra off his shoulder and held it in front of him. It was a nice little bra. Nothing fancy. Seifer smiled at the bra, then froze.  
  
*Now who the hell wears bras around here?* He thought with a frown. He froze again.  
  
Somewhere, under those clear blue waters... Quistis Trepe was swimming topless. Seifer gleefully looked around for Quistis, bra clutched firmly in hand. He finally spotted her underwater, trying to swim to shore and cover herself at the same time. Seifer chuckled and grabbed hold of her ankle, picking her out of the water. She squealed, hanging upside-down and covering her chest. Seifer waved the bra around.  
  
"This belong to you?" He asked, his most charming smile on his face. Quistis glared at him and snatched the bra out of his hand. With a shrug Seifer let go of her ankle, allowing her to drop into the water again.  
  
Seifer smirked when Quistis arose again out of the water, bra firmly across her chest again. With a battle cry Quistis leapt at Seifer's legs, knocking him into the water. Seifer surfaced quickly and swore revenge. A splash war started as water got flung everywhere. Seifer finally stopped his splashing long enough to tackle Quistis. They rolled around on the bottom of the ocean, both vying for control. They finally washed up on shore, Quistis on top, straddling Seifer triumphantly.  
  
"I win." She smirked at Seifer. He stuck his tongue out at her, trying to shrug her off. But Quistis fought him, shoving him back down on the sand. Quistis' hair coiled down her back, her trademark hairclip lost in the ocean. Seifer's chest was covered in sand, and Quistis paused to draw a smiley face on his stomach, using his belly button as a nose. Seifer stared in mock horror at the face on his stomach.  
  
"I declare war on your country!" Seifer pouted, flipping Quistis so that she was now under him. She squealed as he rubbed rough sand on her own stomach, and proceeded to trace out "I (heart) Seifie" on her body. Seifer smirked at her, and she glared, trying to wriggle out from underneath him. But he caught her arms, efficiently pinning her down. She frowned at him, and pretended to pout. With a chuckled, Seifer swooped down and brushed his lips against hers, taking full advantage of her inability to fight back.  
  
Seifer winked at her and released her arms, and was about to get up when Quistis suddenly sat up, grabbing him roughly on the back of his head and kissing him soundly. Seifer felt his heart pound in his chest, as he began to return the kiss with vigor. After a few moments, Seifer gently broke the kiss, and stared at the woman underneath him in wonder. Then, putting a stiff frown on his face, he got off of her and walked over to where his clothes were piled in a heap. Quistis frowned, then followed suit, brushing sand off her back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They walked in silence.  
  
Quistis had discarded her ruined shirt in favor of another from her suitcase, which she carried firmly in her left hand. Her whip was securely fastened to her hip, and she sighed as she looked out into the bleak landscape. It sure wasn't pretty. And Quistis was right to assume there were monsters.  
  
A whole hell of a lot of monsters.  
  
And Seifer's gun blade was being upgraded in Esthar City.  
  
It didn't matter much. Quistis had her whip, and most of the monsters fell victim to it with the first strike. She almost wished for a real challenge, but the brief reminder that Seifer had nothing but magic on him kept her from making such a fatal wish. She shook her head slightly, feeling the little salt grains from the ocean cling to her hair.  
  
Seifer had a slight frown on his face as they walked, studying the terrain intently. Suddenly, a little light bulb went off over his head as he excitedly looked around.  
  
"I think... I know where we are!" Quistis stopped walking long enough to raise an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Look." Seifer said, kneeling down and grabbing a stick. He drew a rough outline of the planet, making a dotted like from FH towards Balamb. "This little dotted line is the ship, right? Well, I'd wager we were about halfway to our destination." Seifer continued the dotted line so it was in- between FH and Balamb. "As you can see, the closest land would be over here. And I'm sure the captain didn't want to drop of two unconscious people. So, I'll bet he faked a break-down of some sort, an unfortunate detour he had to make that would slightly deter the journey."  
  
Seifer made the dotted line take a right and head towards the Great Salt Lake. Quistis frowned.  
  
"That's a pretty big detour, Seifer." She said critically. Seifer shrugged.  
  
"Look around us, Trepe. It's exactly like the terrain of the area." Quistis frowned, and realized (As much as she hated to admit it), Seifer was right. "Now, if we head southeast, we should hit Esthar by sundown." Seifer reasoned, pointing towards the direction they had to take. Quistis sighed.  
  
"... I guess it sounds reasonable." She said, wrinkling her nose.  
  
Seifer gave Quistis his trademark smirk. "I have to pick up my gun blade anyway. And my coat. And I can buy more clothes. We can just hop a train in the morning and get to Balamb then."  
  
"Where is your jacket?" Quistis asked, just now realizing the absence of yet another Seifer trademark  
  
"Had to have it repaired." Seifer grunted, standing up. Quistis sighed. She did not feel like walking all the freaking way to Esthar... But then again what choice did she have?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Edea wrung her hands nervously at the dock, while Cid paced and Squall stared into space.  
  
The boat was 2 hours late. Cid and Edea had planned to meet them when the boat arrived at the dock, and Squall came to make sure there wasn't some sort of hidden agenda on Quistis' and Seifer's minds.  
  
The boat finally came into view on the horizon, and Edea breathed a sigh of relief. Cid finally stopped pacing and Squall stared blankly at the oncoming vessel. But Edea's worry returned when the boat docked, and only a few people came off, none of who were Quistis and Seifer. Squall managed to frown harder when he caught a glimpse of the ship's Captain waving drunkenly to the passengers leaving. Something just wasn't right...  
  
Squall's hand shot out and grabbed the collar of one of the passengers as he walked by.  
  
"Was there a tall, blonde man and a petite blonde woman on this ship?" Squall asked the terrified man calmly.  
  
"Y-y-y-y-a! S-s-s-seifer Almsy and Quistis Trepe!" The man stuttered, feet dangling off the deck.  
  
"And where are they now?" Squall asked in the same calm tone.  
  
"I-I-I-I don't know! T-t-t-hey were in a huge fight, it was spectacular to watch! T-t-t-t-hey disappeared when she, Quistis I mean, was chasin' Seifer with an ax! T-t-t-then the Captain had some engine trouble and we had to dock in the middle of nowhere for a short period of time while the captain got the part we needed! T-t-t-that's why we're so late!"  
  
Squall looked the man square in the eye (Much to the poor man's terror), to see if he was lying. Then he dropped the man back on the deck. Squall didn't bother to watch him run off as fast as his legs could carry him as he started towards the ship, followed closely by Edea and Cid.  
  
  
  
-----------------------------------------  
  
Oh, I know I promised to have a nice long chappy. But I got sudden inspiration for another fic, which I'm madly plotting out. Keep an eye out for it within the next two days. The next chapter should be up on... Oh say Monday? 


End file.
